A review by laheath
Rules for Being a Girl by Katie Cotugno, Candace Bushnell

emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Told from the perspective of a high school girl who develops what she believes is a great working relationship with her English teacher, the story focuses on how the school and her friends fail her when he crosses the line. It makes her question herself, since she and so many of her friends had crushes on him, but ultimately makes her question society's expectations of girls and the double standards between teenage boys and girls. In exploring different options for taking action, she gets an introduction to feminism and finds sources of support. I thought this was a great exploration of an issue that is unfortunately, a relatively common experience with teenage girls, with some trusted adult in their lives, and it was addressed with appropriate seriousness and sensitivity while ultimately giving the victim back some power and control. The side story of her grandmother battling dementia but sharing memories of her days protesting for various causes was especially poignant. 
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